Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3140’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 3140’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; single purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus niger X Helleborus x hybridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 3140’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHelleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger X Helleborus xhybridus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 3140’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with uniqueand attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and resistance topests common to Helleborus plants.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conductedby the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in 2012 of a unnamed selection ofHelleborus niger, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and anunnamed selection of Helleborus x hybridus, not patented, as the male,or pollen parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny ofthe stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouseenvironment in Glandorf, Germany in 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in acontrolled environment in Glandorf, Germany since 2015 has shown thatthe unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 3140’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘COSEH 3140’ as a new and distinct Helleborusplant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Single purple-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Helleborus and the parent selections differ primarilyin flower color as plants of the female parent selection have flowersthat are solid white in color and plants of the male parent selectionhave flowers that are dark pink in color. In addition, plants of the newHelleborus are more freely flowering than plants of the female parentselection.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborusorientalis ‘HLR 160’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,504. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Helleborus differ primarilyfrom plants of ‘HLR 160’ in flower color as plants of ‘HLR 160’ haveflowers with dense greyed purple-colored spots present on a large areaof the sepals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 3140’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflower of ‘COSEH 3140’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the winter in 15-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 24° C.and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 monthsold when the photographs and the description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus niger X Helleborus x hybridus    ‘COSEH 3140’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helleborus            niger, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helleborus x            hybridus, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—In vitro rhizome culture.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two months at            temperatures about 12° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six            months at temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 15° C.        -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; typically white to            brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on            substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and            formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of            roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Sparse.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and            mounding plant habit with flowers held above the foliar            plane; plant shape, roughly flattened globular; moderately            vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 28.2            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 30.3 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 45 cm.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves            palmately compound with typically seven leaflets per leaf.        -   Leaf length.—About 17.7 cm.        -   Leaf width.—About 21.8 cm.        -   Leaflet length.—About 11.5 cm.        -   Leaflet width.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; reniform in outline.        -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate, obovate to elliptic.        -   Leaflet apex.—Bluntly acute.        -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.        -   Leaflet margin.—Finely serrate; lowest leaflets occasionally            cleft.        -   Leaflet texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;            moderately leathery; moderately glossy.        -   Leaflet texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;            moderately leathery; slightly glossy.        -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to            137B. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to 147B.            Fully developed leaflets, upper surface: Close to darker            than between 139A and N189A; venation, close to 147B. Fully            developed leaflets, lower surface: Close to 144A and 144B;            venation, close to 144A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 16.4 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm to            5.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A; proximally,            moderately to heavily tinged and covered with small spots,            close to 187A and 187B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers; arranged            solitary or in small clusters with about four flowers each;            freely flowering habit with about 72 flowers developing per            plant; flowers facing outwardly to slightly nodding.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten            months after planting; plants flower during the winter in            Germany.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; sepals            persistent, other flower parts not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.            Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly            glossy. Color: Close to between N77B and N186D; venation,            close to 187A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 12.9 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 13 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7.2 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.4 cm.        -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five, arranged in a            single whorl. Length: About 4.7 cm. Width: About 4.1 cm.            Shape: Broadly ovate, slightly concave. Apex: Obtuse. Base:            Cuneate. Margin: Entire; very slightly undulate. Texture and            luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.            Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to N77B. When            opening, lower surface: Lighter than close to N77B;            venation, close to 71A and 72A. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to N77B; distally, fading to lighter than N77B. Fully            opened, lower surface: Lighter than close to N77B; venation,            close to 71A and 72A.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: Typically one. Length:            About 6.3 cm. Width: About 4.8 cm. Shape: Trifoliate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire; slightly            undulate. Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower            surface: Close to 147B; main vein, close to N186C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 24.3 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm to            10 mm. Aspect: About 10° from vertical. Strength: Strong.            Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy.            Color: Close to 144C; flushed and densely covered with small            spots, close to 187B to 187C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3.6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm to            4 mm. Aspect: About 30° from peduncle axis. Strength:            Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;            glossy. Color: Close to between 187A and 200B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:            About 100. Filament length: About 1.3 cm. Filament color:            Close to 186D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther            size: About 1.75 mm by 2.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 1C.            Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: About seven. Pistil length: About 8 mm.            Stigma diameter: About 0.3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped.            Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style length: About 7.5 mm.            Style color: Close to 187A. Ovary color: Close to 187A.            Nectaries (transformed petals): Quantity per flower: About            13 to 15. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape:            Tubular, flattened. Texture and luster, inner and outer            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, immature, inner            and outer surfaces: Close to N144A; mid-section, heavily            tinged with close to 200C. Color, mature, inner and outer            surfaces: Close to between 150B and 151B; mid-section,            heavily tinged with close to 200C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Helleborus to date.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed    to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and to be    suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Helleborus plants to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3140’as illustrated and described.